The Ascension
by Valtharos
Summary: A Common thief is forced to take up the mantle of a Dungeon Keeper and suddenly finds himself the master of the fearsome Horned Reaper. Forced to fight in order to ensure his own survival, which path will he take?
1. The Sentence

The Ascension

The man stood silently, flanked by two guards on either side, near the scaffolding erected in the market place used for conducting those criminal trials, which the Aristocracy wished the general populace to see and to make examples of.

"So, knave" The High Inquisitor addressed him. "Lord Asthon here informs us that you

attempted to burgle his mansion and steal his gold". Do you have anything to say in your

Defense before we sentence you, perhaps as to why you attempted to perpetrate this crime?"

"Regardless of what I say in my defense, I'll still be sentenced. So what's the point of me even bothering to answer?. You're all Asthon's creatures anyway; You'll do just as he says regardless of whether I'm guilty or not. "

The crowd gasped in surprise at the man's answer and even the guards shifted uneasily. Although all and sundry knew what he said was true, No man had ever dared to say it so openly, especially in front of the Inquisitor who, if he wished could sentence him to imprisonment, death or even worse.

The people waited with bated breath for the inquisitor's answer, as he spluttered incoherently with rage, too busy to reply, When Lord Ashton himself leaned forward and as a cruel smile curled his lips said,

"You will neither be punished by hanging, nor by imprisonment.

No. you deserve a punishment far worse than that for your insolent speech"

Then turning towards the High Inquisitor he said,

"I suggest inquisitor, that we have our wizards cast a spell of banishment on this man, He deserves nothing less."

"Of course my Lord, of course. He deserves nothing less at all. No, no nothing less at all" replied the High Inquisitor, nodding his head vigorously, desperate to appear in total agreement with his lord.

"Then with your leave" said Asthon and beckoned to one of wizards in his retinue to come forward.

"No matter where you send me Asthon, I Will have my revenge on you sooner or later"

Said the young man quietly and without a trace of fear or anger, which even stoked a spark of grudging admiration in Lord Asthon.

"No" he said, "Not where you're going" just as a flash of bright white light engulfed the man standing below him, staring at him grimly.


	2. An Uncomfortable Meeting

The Ascension

Fian shook his head groggily as the spell concluded after an indeterminable period and took a look around at his new surroundings and was instantly sure that the first thing he saw there, would also be the last.

Standing not less than a few feet away from him was some kind of demon., A deep shade of crimson, eight feet tall and very, very muscular, It held a large scythe and had long jagged teeth which jutted out of it's mouth and luminous yellow eyes which were presently fixed on Fian.

For almost a minute, neither of them moved and continued to stare silently at each other.

Now this was something that Horny liked, A human who was actually brave or stupid enough to actually set eyes on him and not run away screaming. Perhaps this one was finally the one he had been waiting for, but first, before making any decisions, he had to determine whether he was worthy or not.

Without any warning Horny charged at the human before him. He moved with astounding speed considering his bulk and was nearly within striking distance of the man before him when he jumped out of the way.

Fian's mind raced as he considered his predicament. The moment he set eyes on the creature, he knew if he chose to attack, as the creature had, he wouldn't have had a ghost of a chance of beating him. His best bet would be to try to get to one of the passage's in the wall and try to find his way out, however this was easier said than done. For he knew that turning his back on the creature or trying to sidle away towards any of the other passages would have possibly fatal consequences for him.

"The best thing to do now would be to try to survive till I get a chance to escape without too much risk," he thought, as he waited on tenterhooks to evade the creature's next attack.

Meanwhile Horny was growing more and more confident that the human was worthy enough to claim his old master's Dungeon Heart, for not only had he been brave enough to face Horny without fleeing in terror but had also proved himself capable of dodging Horny's attacks.

Yet some doubts still lingered in his mind. Although he greatly desired to be set free of his imprisonment, his desire to not be the minion of an incompetent Keeper unworthy of his power was still far greater and he was about to charge at the human before him once more when someone else in the dungeon invisible to, though not unknown to even Horny spoke. Someone who was bound to the dungeon much the same way Horny was, but one whose confinement was not a matter of anguish and indeed more of amusement. Someone who had been watching Horny's duel with the thief since its very start but had chosen not to reveal himself to them. Someone who was far older than even the dungeon they resided in itself. .


	3. Acceptance

The Ascension

"Enough Horny, We've seen enough. This human seems more than capable of being a competent Keeper and will perhaps be your only hope of escaping your pitiful confinement. Now I suggest you stop trying to kill him unless you want to spend a few more centuries trapped in this ruin of a dungeon,"

The disembodied voice seemed to come from everywhere and yet nowhere,. Despite his shock, Fian looked around to see if he could locate who it was who had spoken when he happened to receive another much larger surprise when Horny replied.

"I wasn't trying to kill him you know that very well and besides what makes you so sure that he is skilled enough? I may wish to put an end to my confinement but not badly enough to submit my services to some pathetic human whom I know nothing about?"

" I understand your desire to not have to serve an unworthy keeper, but you are in a position to be picky." The disembodied voice replied, as a ghostly figure materialized in a corner of the room it was rather formless but had a hint of a humanoid figure about it.

"What do you want with me, and who or what exactly are you?" Fian growled loudly, his first words since his arrival in the dungeon.

"Ah, Just the very question I was hoping you'd ask" the spirit replied "One which I would have addressed sooner if it were not for Horny's rather unfortunate attempt to kill you" the spirit said

"Horny?" Fian replied looking around, utterly bewildered.

"Yes Horny, the creature you see before you," the spirit replied sounding amused, if the dead can be amused.

"Horny?, Your name is Horny?" Fian said, addressing the reaper for the first time and despite himself, he had to suppress a laugh.

"My name is The Horned Reaper or Horniculus which has been shortened to that word you seem to find so amusing" the Reaper growled loudly "Now as to what we want of you is rather simple"

"Oh yes, and what is it?" Fian replied warily, all mirth forgotten.

"Are you familiar with, who and what a Dungeon Keeper is?" the spirit asked

"Well yes, who isn't" Fian replied as it dawned on him where he has where he was.

"Good" the spirit replied, "This makes matters much less tedious. You see Horniculus

Was the most powerful servant of the greatest Keeper of his time, Feared respected and dreaded throughout the entire underworld while I was his wisest advisor, the spirit of one of the first few Keepers to exist. We were trapped in this dungeon several centuries ago when the Avatar slew our late Keeper in the battle that ensued when the forces of good led by the Avatar himself clashed with our master after he happened to destroy a major part of the Overworld. We were close to victory when the Avatar managed to break into our Keeper's sanctorum and slay him, and all was lost but fortunately for you and us, the heroes never managed to locate the Dungeon Heart and destroy it. Thus Horny still possesses a chance to regain his freedom and perhaps I have the chance to guide a new Keeper to greatness if you were to claim the Heart"

"Fortunately for you maybe, but what's in it for me" Fian replied cautiously

"Well, apart from the opportunity of becoming a Dungeon Keeper able to win power, glory, wealth and riches, your ability to become a Dungeon Keeper is the only thing keeping Horny from eviscerating you." The spirit replied nonchalantly

"Fine then, I accept. It's not like I have a lot of choices do I" Fian muttered

"what must I do?"


	4. Initiation

"Well now that is simple enough. Firstly, you must claim the inactive Dungeon Heart. This requires a small blood sacrifice on your part. You must let a few drops of your blood fall into the mouth of the demon face inscribed on the circle over there," the mentor said, raising an insubstantial arm pointing towards an intricate circular design in the centre of the room on which was inscribed the face of some kind of demon which looked a lot like Horny

"And what do I do after that?" replied Fian

"After you claim the Heart you must begin the task of building and expanding your dungeon, hiring minions, defeating fellow Keeper's and subjugating the surface dwellers," the mentor replied, a trite wearily

"All right then" Fian said quietly "Now I just need to pour a few drops of my blood into the engravings mouth and I'll become a Dungeon Keeper right"

"Yes, that's quite correct" the mentor said as the Reaper snorted impatiently in the background

"Fine then" Fian said as he drew a dagger from his belt and nonchalantly made a small cut on his palm

"Good…. Very good …" the Mentor said slowly "Now all you need to do is pour some of your blood into the Demon's Mouth"

Fian grunted in reply as he stood directly over carving and slowly turned his hand over letting a few drops of crimson blood fall into the ancient carving.

The covering on top of the heart slowly began to glow and pulsate with light.

"Now would be a good time to move away, Young Keeper," the mentor said dryly

Fian backed away which was just as well as, a few seconds later the stone covering on Heart all but exploded dashing shards of jagged stone against the wall.


	5. The Beginning

"Well done Keeper" said the mentor, "now perhaps it is time for you to learn what exactly it is that a keeper does"

"You mean apart from killing people for the heck of it" replied Fian

"And what's wrong with killing people for the heck of it? It's my favorite pastime" said Horny as his teeth glinted cruelly in the light cast by the Dungeon Heart

"Oh .." replied Fian looking at him appraisingly "I didn't know that, I wish I could introduce you to a few people I know"

"So" he said turning to the Mentor as Horny grunted in the background "What is it that a keeper does?"

"Oh yes" replied the Mentor "a Keeper is a master strategist who must fight constantly to ensure his dominion, maintain his dungeon and destroy those pesky heroes and rival keepers"

"So how do I start?" replied Fian

"Well, that much is rather simple. You must close your mind to the outside world and focus on obtaining the knowledge that resides within your Dungeon Heart. All the information you need to run your Dungeon successfully is within it and will be transferred to your mind, minions, traps, rooms, spells everything. It will also enable you to channel your mana to cast spells"

"mana?" said Fian looking at the mentor questioningly.

"All of that will become clear to you once you do as I say" said the Mentor impatiently waving an insubstantial arm. "Now, concentrate."

Fian closed his eyes and concentrated intently. By and by he became aware of an alien presence in his mind that seemed to pulsate with power which he realized was the Dungeon Heart the mentor had mentioned. He took a deep breath and focused intently on it and drew closer. Suddenly he gasped and reeled back as he felt himself get immersed in a fast flowing torrent of knowledge and experience. Information about rooms, traps, minions and everything concerned with managing, constructing and running a dungeon flooded his mind faster than he could have ever imagined. A thousand sensations crammed into his mind. The history of the dungeon heart, the epic battle between the Avatar and the previous Keeper and all that had taken place in the dungeon flashed by in front of his eyes as if he were present there himself.

After a few minutes his mind and body could take no more, he collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

It was only a few minutes later that he came to, his eyes snapped open inhumanly fast as he pushed himself to his feet and examined himself. He soon realized that his physical abilities had improved greatly. All traces of exhaustion from his imprisonment and subsequent trial with Lord Ashton and his encounter with Horny had been wiped out. He felt stronger and more agile then he had ever felt in his entire life His senses too were much keener than they had been before and, rather disconcertingly, by some kind of extended awareness he was aware of every square inch of the Dungeon almost as if it was a part of him. He knew exactly which passage led to which chamber, He could even see the various chambers scattered around the Dungeon in his mind as if he there himself if he made a concerted mental effort. He slowly turned towards the Mentor, smiled and said just two words

"Lets begin"


	6. Visiting Terrarium

Fian watched silently with the mentor at his side as his imps tunneled through the rocks furiously. It had only been a few days since he had claimed the Dungeon Heart and become and become a keeper but yet he was progressing rapidly. Most of the rooms needed to run a dungeon were already in place as his imps had located a nearby gem seam soon after he had claimed the Heart, which luckily enabled him to build his dungeon and expand much faster than he ordinarily would have been able to. Yet one thing still worried him.

"It's been two days mentor since I claimed the portal, room all of the necessary room's are in place and yet no creature has ventured into my domain to serve me. Why is this so mentor? " he said as he turned to face the Mentor.

"Patience, young keeper, patience. What you say has not escaped my attention. It seems that this dungeon has been forgotten by everyone over the long centuries it has remained unused. All we can do now is visit one of the nearby towns in the underworld and recruit a few creatures to your cause ourselves."

"There are cities here" Fian replied some what surprised. The knowledge he had obtained from the Dungeon Heart only concerned the creation, maintenance and expansion of a Dungeon so the news that there were large scale dwellings in the underworld was something of a revelation to him.

"Yes Keeper, there are cities in the underworld too some larger than many of the cities in the overworld. Populated by a variety of creatures mainly those who serve Dungeon Keepers and cannot dwell above ground due to those pesky heroes though there are other people and creatures in large numbers there too. They are only reachable by the same portals through which creatures enter the Dungeon of a keeper they wish to serve.

"Fine then" replied Fian still somewhat surprised by the fact that there were cities in the underworld. "Should we take Horny along? "

"No Keeper I don't think that would be wise. You have only just embarked on your journey as a Dungeon Keeper and it would not do to attract too much attention so early on. Horned Reapers are known to serve only the most powerful of Keeper's and the last thing you want is for the local Keepers to perceive you as a threat and band against you."

"Sound advice Mentor. But wouldn't it be foolish to leave the Dungeon unattended?" said Fian

"Not at all Keeper" said the mentor "As I said before this Dungeon has slipped out of the memory of almost everyone so there is no real threat of an attack as of now and besides you underestimate Horniculus, he's more than a match for a small army all by himself

"All right then everything seems to be in place" said Fian "When do we leave?"

"well there isn't much remaining to do here until a few creatures arrive to serve you, so why not now?" replied the mentor.

"Fine then" said Fian somewhat cautiously "But you still haven't told me how I'm supposed to get there"

"That is a simple matter Keeper" said the mentor smoothly "All you have to do is step into the portal and focus on the name of your destination. Rest assured if a troll can do it so can you and besides remember there's no reason to worry as I'm accompanying you"

"What's the name of the city" said Fian as he walked over to the portal

"Terrarium" said the mentor as he glided over to the portal to stand along side Fian.

"Fine then. Terrarium it is" muttered Fian as he took a deep breath focused on the name and stepped into the portal.


	7. The First Kill

Fian dealt with the effects of the spell better this time having experienced it once before when he had been banished to the underworld by Lord Ashton's minions.

He still didn't land on his feet

Fian got to his feet with a huff and ignored the smirk on the mentors face. How someone who had been dead for centuries could also be so annoying was one thing that he still hadn't understood.

They found themselves just outside the City of Terrarium. Powerful enchantments placed over the city ensured that who ever attempted to reach it by using magical means would find themselves outside the city. A necessary precaution that ensured that should any of the Hero's of the over world or neighboring Keepers attempt to invade the city they would not have their job made easier by finding themselves right in the heart of it. It also gave whichever Bandit or Keeper or who ever happened to be in control of the outskirts of the city a chance to charge a toll to who ever passed that way and also enabled them to relieve anyone carrying valuables the unnecessary worry of safe guarding them by simply appropriating them for themselves.

By the standards of the surface dwellers Terrarium was a fair sized city. All though over-run with various vile denizens of the underworld who were nearly always at each others throat and baying for each others blood a fair bit of trade and commerce did some how manage to go on there. As it was, it was a good place for a budding keeper to hire minions and get started. It was also an entry point for the various spies sent by the Lords who controlled much of the underworld.

"Well, Keeper" said the Mentor with just the slightest hint of condescension "We should probably get started if you want to reach the city today"

"All right then" Fian replied as he started towards Terrarium. Despite the apparently great distance he made quick time. One aspect of being a Dungeon Keeper that he had noticed in spite of the Mentor failing to mention it was that just as he could use mana to cast spells, create imps and power their actions he could also use it to enhance his own physical and mental abilities and enabled him to increase his physical strength beyond super human levels. Most keepers found this an interesting, some what fascinating phenomenon but none to important as they relied more on guile, cunning and treachery to survive rather than raw physical strength or sharp senses to survive and thrive.

Fian stopped short of the gate built into the wall that stood before him as a short squat and heavily built man who was obviously the guard inspected him from head to toe trying to decide how much gold he could extract out of him which depended entire on the influence he wielded in the under world society or the amount of money he possessed

A powerful figure such as a Dark Lord or a Dungeon Keeper could simply walk in without even bothering to stop at the gate as the guards made themselves scarce and did their best to remain out of sight. A rich person would be forced to pay a toll directly in proportion to his wealth. Fian did not seem to be either of them and the Mentor had chosen to remain discreetly out of sight as they neared the guard and so naturally the guard considered Fian beneath himself. It was a mistake he would soon pay for with his life.

"You" he called out in an annoyingly nasal voice with an odd twang to it "stop right there unless you want to end up dead" he continued oblivious of the mentors presence

. Fian stopped suddenly and stood motionless and stared at the guard coldly. "A hundred gold" the guard said either oblivious or accustomed to the look that Fian gave him.

"And what if I refuse to pay?" Fian said quietly.

The mentor tensed instinctively at this and was just about to remind Fian to be discreet when he composed himself. It would not do well to reveal his presence at this juncture and besides this would be a good time to see if the fledgling Keeper really had the guts it took to be a successful Keeper.

The Guard stared incredulously for a few seconds at the man who stood before him before finally managing to reply.

"Foolish man, Then you die!" he finally stuttered unused to being challenged by someone who looked so ordinary.

Fian stood his ground as the enraged guard charged towards him wielding a rusted and nicked short sword. The guard swung wildly at him with an overhead blow. Fian channeled the mana from his Dungeon Heart into his body and side-stepped a split-second before the blow would have connected and cleaved his skull open and caught the guard by the neck and snapped it just as easily as a child would snap a tender branch from a willow tree into pieces.

The mentor materialized besides Fian almost immediately and said "Nicely done, Keeper" as he took in the sight of the body of the man Fian had just killed.

Fian continued to stare at the motionless body of the man he had killed for a few more seconds before he replied. "Should we proceed?"

"Oh yes Keeper," the mentor replied. "The people who populate this city are of a distinctly unloyal breed. Rest assured they will not seek vengeance for their fallen comrade"

"Fine then" He replied quietly and stepped into the City of Terrarium, troubled by how easy it had been to kill the guard and the nonchalance with which he was able to do it.

The Mentor watched Fian enter the City as he thought to about the effects of the Dungeon Heart on the new Keeper's morality, mind and soul. "Soon he will be just as vile and evil as any other Keeper" mused the Mentor to himself as he finally started after Fian.

Or so he thought.


	8. Recruitment

Fian silently took in the sight's that greeted him on his very first visit to one of the cities of the underworld.

Creatures of all shapes, sizes and colors with a variety of fangs, talons and tails thronged the filthy street that stretched out before him. Some talked, argued traded or just went their way while a few peddled a variety of goods and services were alongside the road. Some of them were useful, others quite obviously valuable and were jealously guarded while others were dangerous or lewd.

The mentor gestured to Fian to follow him and glided away as Fian walked alongside him silently. Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he asked "I thought Dungeon Keepers were the most feared and respected members of the Underworld society. " How come the guard at the gate did not hesitate in attacking me when I refused to pay the toll?"

The mentor thought for a few moments before replying. "You may very well be a keeper but you surely do not look like one. Keeper's are always exquisitely attired and positively reek of wealth and decadence; to him you must've seemed as common as any of the others on this street. Besides when ever Keepers do visit such cities they are surrounded by a bevy of guards and slaves. You on the other hand are only protected by the fact that no one here knows your true identity. If we are lucky we will be able to conclude our business here before any one notices us and becomes suspicious"

Fian trudged alongside him silently for a few moments before he asked again.

"Where are we going?"

"We, my young neophyte are on our way to one of the city Inn's the mentor replied a trite exasperatedly "They are excellent places for budding Keepers such as yourself to gather important information and learn of the going on's in the underworld. They also serve as a recruiting ground for you to recruit new creatures to your cause, but of course all of this is assuming no body there slips a dagger between your ribs to get their hands on your gold. The underworld is a dangerous and evil place after all"

Fian nodded and continued walking alongside the mentor silently ignoring the occasional stares the passer's by gave to the unusual duo of man and ghost.

After a few more minutes, just as he was about to ask the Mentor how much further the Inn was the latter stopped and pointed towards a large but slightly run down building alongside the Road which he took to be their destination, the Inn.

Fian followed the Mentor towards the building and as they neared he could hear the loud sound of conversation and drunken carousing that emanated from the building. He hesitated momentarily but then steeled himself and walked in.

A variety of creatures sat together and ate, gambled drank and conversed in loud voices as the Inn servants rushed around frantically trying to make sure every-one got what they before they got upset and started breaking things. Fian noticed disdainfully that the patrons of the Inn did not hesitate in the slightest in misbehaving with the serving women while the man who was obviously the owner of the Inn looked on complacently. He was just about to interfere with one particularly boisterous group when the mentor sidled up to him and whispered softly in his ear

"Now is not the time for you to demonstrate your heroic tendencies, Keeper" he said softly. "It would not do well for us to attract attention to ourselves now. We must tend to our business quickly and leave before anyone notices that you are a Keeper recruiting minions, and you better let me do the talking."

Fian stared at him silently for almost a minute and just as the mentor began to fear that he was going to disregard his advice Fian shrugged and sat down at a near by table and looked away. The mentor relaxed and would have heaved a sigh of relief if he hadn't been dead for the past few centuries and looked around the room looking for potential employees, sizing up all the creatures present in the Inn's common room and then re-assessing them to decide which of them would be ready to serve a new Keeper and which were already bonded to another Keeper. A being as old as him could easily tell with a single glance whether a particular creature was bonded to a Keeper or not. After he had finished his assessment he glided over discreetly to the various creatures that were ranged all over the room and had muted discussions with them, most of them seemed interested and came over to talk to Fian while a few looked at him suspiciously and shrugged him off without much ado. After about an hour or so Fian had finished dealing with several minions including several goblins, a few Dark Knights and a pair of Dark elf sisters who unlike the rest of their brethren had shoulder length obsidian black hair. One of whom seemed to possess a trifle more than purely academic interest in him. Without exception all of them were rather surprised with the courtesy and respect with which he treated them and his genuine desire to know more about them, being used to Keepers who felt that all minions were nothing more than steps on a ladder to their ascent to greatness or just plain scum. The Mentor insisted that the minions leave for the Dungeon as soon as they were done so to avoid attracting attention. It was a decision he would regret later as a rather unusual event occurred just as they had wrapped up their "business" as the mentor called it and were about to leave that an event with long and far reaching consequences occurred.

A commotion broke out on the other side of the room as a table was over-turned and a slight figure wearing a hooded robe that completely covered his face was thrown to the ground while a large heavily built man with a disfigured and badly scarred face flanked by two equally large and ugly orc's bore down on the downed figure as he swung a huge broadsword held high over his head as the figure on the floor futilely raised a hand to protect itself.

The next thing that Fian knew was that mana from his Dungeon Heart coursed through his entire body pushing his physical abilities to incredible heights. He had crossed the entire room in a blink of an eye moving faster than was simply possible. Intent only on intercepting the blow before it connected. For some reason he could think of nothing else.


	9. Meeting the over worlder

Fian caught the blade of the broad-sword without so much as nicking himself when it was barely six inches from his face and ended up crouched next to the hooded figure on the floor. The attacker gaped at Fian; shocked at how easily he had intercepted his blow and then scowled, throwing the scar's on his face into further relief as he attempted to tug the blade out of Fian's grasp futilely while his cronies flanked him warily on either side ready to attack at a moments notice. Fian slowly got to his feet taking no notice of the brutish man who stood before him, the mana from his Dungeon Heart still coursing through his body as he turned his head sideways to check on the mysterious hooded figure on the floor when his breath fluttered, his heart beat became uneven and he forgot that he was in an incredibly dangerous situation surrounded by people who would not hesitate in separating his head from his body

Underneath the hood was the face of a breath takingly beautiful elvish girl. She had an almond shaped face with raven black hair and captivating violet eyes and full rosy lips, her ears were slightly pointed at the top hinting at her elvish ancestry and looked to be about twenty-one though it was impossible to tell how old she really was given the life-span of the elves and though she had just escaped a violent and untimely death, determination not fear showed strongly on her face. Fian continued to stare at her face for a few more seconds before he was rudely disturbed by the man who had just tried to kill her.

"n' whaddya think you're doing?" he growled still somewhat disconcerted by the physical abilities his adversary seemed to possess. "You is trying to protect these over worlder spies eh? Maybe you is one of them?" he sneered

The entire room tensed with hostility when they heard whom Fian had just saved. Heroes were not exactly liked anywhere in under world but Terrarium was close to the surface and had been raided frequently by parties of Heroes and thus the hostility and hatred towards the surface dwellers ran deep within its inhabitants.

Meanwhile the mentor cursed as his mind raced to find a way out of this predicament without getting Fian killed. He knew that even if a fight broke out and Fian survived his identity as Dungeon Keeper would surely be revealed putting him on top of the priority list of the Keepers in the area. He knew that all Dungeon Keepers were terrified at the thought of losing their power and land to a new and up coming Keeper and that they would lay aside their own squabbles and arguments to annihilate Fian before he came powerful enough to be counted as a real adversary. His train of thought was derailed as the sound of metal being shattered rang out through the room.

Fian had stood to his full height and clenched his fist around the blade of the sword shattering it into a thousand fragments as easily as if it were made of mud.

The man who now held just the hilt of a sword turned pale and blanched he suddenly realized that Fian's eye had taken a crimson shade and took a step behind while his friends too beat a hasty retreat away from Fian when a rather obese woman dressed in leather that was adorned with a great deal of jewelry at the back of the room surrounded by a group of warlocks and mistresses, waddled forward slowly and spoke up

"Who are you and how dare you get in the way of my minions, Keeper Nelfania's minions as they go about destroying this sneaking over worlder spy?" she demanded in a shrill voice

The mentor made a face and cursed again, great so not only had the foolish young neophyte picked a fight when he had clearly told him to avoid attracting attention he had actually picked a fight with the minions of one of the local keepers and to top it of all he had done it to protect an over worlder, a great way to endear yourself to the natives of the underworld.

Fian looked like he was about to reply when the mentor decided to step in, he was sure that whatever he was going to say wouldn't go down with piggish Keeper.

"Oh forgive us, Lord High Keeper" the mentor began greasily "I know how all this must appear to you but believe me, all the boy wanted to do was finish the spy himself he merely felt that the end your loyal minion was going to give her was far too painless" he continued "he meant no disrespect to you at all" the mentor simpered and looked at Fian desperately willing him to play along with the story as the tension in the room somewhat relaxed.

The girl's eyes widened with shock as she contemplated the Mentors words but was quickly reassured, while the Mentor was horrified; by what Fian said next

"I have no intention of harming her whatsoever" he said coldly "I intend to ensure her safety and escort her out of here he continued "and if that smelly pustule or anyone else tries to stop me" he said jerking a finger at the Keeper who had confronted him and now was swelling with rage "I will kill them"

"Big words my friend remarked another Keeper who had silently been watching this confrontation for a while now and was surrounded by minions of his own who had suddenly appeared from no where. "And what if I decide to intervene too?" he continued silkily

Fian turned to look at the thin bony man who addressed him he noted that he wore expensive looking velvet clothes which was in sharp contrast to the what his minions wore before he replied "Then you die too"

A deep booming laugh erupted from another side of the room as a Dark elvish Keeper said "What if my minions and I too take offense at the presence of this over worlder and decide to intervene?"

"I think you know the outcome of that" Fian replied softly not even bothering to look at the man who addressed him

The mentor cringed inwardly great, so not only had the young one picked a fight with one keeper, he had attracted the attention of two others and was well on his way to making enemies out of both of them, though he knew that the two new comers had intervened not because he had threatened Nelfania, they themselves had been trying to do away with her for a number of years but because they did not want to lose any opportunity to show off their clout in front of each other

"Enough of this" Nelfania squealed sounding uncannily like a pig "Let us destroy this foolish boy and be done with it!"

The minions of all three Keepers moved towards Fian and his ward purposefully, the entire room had fallen silent assuming the fracas would be over soon it was.

Fian stood his ground smiling slightly as he was approached by the various minions. The elvish girl had gotten to her feet sometime during the conversation and stood at Fian's side not in the least bit cowed by the approaching creatures.

"I must ask her, her name soon" Fian thought absent mindedly to himself as he smiled widely at the three Keepers who were presently gloating over his imminent death and snapped his fingers summoning Horny.

The effect upon the entire room and the Keepers in particular was instantaneous.

_Ok, my first A/N here._

_Ok, so I really hope everyone likes this chapter and decides to review, I know the earlier chapters weren't exactly spectacular but there were all sort of leading up to this chapter. Where the pace picks up. Well that's it I guess. You see the little button down there right? You know you wanna press it *please*_


	10. Fear

The Minions blanched and bumped into each other in their hurry to get away from the creature that stood before them .Even the Keepers and the other patrons of the bar seemed rattled. A Horned Reaper had not been seen in the living memory of all save the most ancient of creatures however everyone knew what they were, what they could do and recognized one on sight.

"So..Keepers" Fian said, with a trace of contempt in his voice. "I believe you were saying something. Something about destroying me if I'm correct" he continued, pleased with the effect Horny's presence was having on the patrons of bar which had turned out to be far better than what he had anticipated it would be.

"No, No my Lord" Nelfania squeaked. "We just wanted to sort out our little disagreement peacefully. We…we mmmeant no harm. The overworlder is yours" she stammered as the other keepers in the room bobbed their heads in agreement, the only thought on their mind being not to piss off the one controlling the large red demon.

Fian thought for a moment and then replied "Fine..lets just chalk this up to a misunderstanding on your part and let's all go home in one piece then, shall we?"

The three keeper's did not take long to go over his offer. Going home in one piece sounded like a very good option to them indeed


	11. A rude shock

Fian took a deep breath as he stepped out of the Inn on to narrow lane that lead to the Inn's courtyard and connected it to the Main street. The babble, which had fallen silent due to his little stunt, arose again, muted however, by the large coarse wooden door, of the Inn.

"Well, done" The Mentor said sarcastically, "Very well done, neophyte, excellent. Most excellent. Your ability to do the exact opposite of what I told you do is quite frankly amazing!" he exclaimed shrilly.

"Oh, Can it" Fian replied, a trite wearily and turned to the Elven girl who had mutely followed him out of the salon of the Inn smiled gently, and said, "You're safe now, No one's going to hurt you." The girl seemed to attempt to hold back a frown and tried to smile, though the expression looked strange and forced", When the Mentor interrupted again

"Yes,yes that is all very good, Now go, go on overworlder, Leave this place at once.",

The girl turned to leave when Fian spoke "wait, is there anything I can help you with, surely it shall not be easy for you to gain access to the entrance to the Portal, especially considering the fact that your identity has been revealed"

I require nothing of you..._ keeper_" she replied witheringly, to Fian's surprise and continued

"I thought I had come finally come across an honorable and brave individual in this festering pit. You may be brave, yet your control over that demon shows you for what you truly are, A keeper, the vilest and blackest of beings, If I had been given a choice, I would rather have died rather than be beholden to one such as you"

"But what wrong have I done?" Fian replied, somewhat nonplussed by the less than grateful response he received

"What wrong, you ask? by the god's you're a Dungeon Keeper, your very existence is evil" She replied, but this time sounding less sure of her self

Fian was about to reply angrily when the mentor made a coughing sound indiscreetly and pointed to two boisterous individuals who were on the path to the Inn evidently, already drunk. They had not noticed the little spat going on just outside the pub being too engrossed in their drink, but would any second be close enough to notice, despite their befuddled state

"Well, I've leave you to whatever you may wish to do then" Fian replied sardonically "pardon me for intruding upon you milady, I shall take my leave of you now" he said with a deep almost mocking bow, and strode away without a second glance.

The mentor uncharacteristically remained silent before speaking,ignoring the looks that passer's by on those filthy crowded street's gave them, trying to distract Fian from what had just occurred,

"One thing puzzles me keeper" he said, slightly raising his voice to be heard over the cries of the traders who hawked their wares and the general babble that was found on any crowded street.

"And what might that be ?" Fian replied quietly.

"The physical prowess you displayed earlier. While it is not uncommon at all for a Keeper to be able to draw upon the mana from his Dungeon heart to heal small cuts, bruises, energize and strengthen himself somewhat, It is nowhere near the ability you just demonstrated, at best you should be somewhat faster and fitter, but definitely not be capable of catching a blade barehanded on it's down swing after crossing a large crowded room in the blink of an eye"

Fian remained silent and thought back, somewhat more curious, The exhilaration of his confrontation with the Keepers in the Inn and his anger and hurt at the behavior of the one whom he had saved had distracted him, but now when the mentor mentioned it. The ability that he seemed to possess was indeed incredible.

"Be that as it may," he replied "it's a good thing innit? more power doesnt hurt"

"No Keeper, indeed it doesn't" The Mentor replied.

"Why didn't those three say anything about it though" he said, "if it's uncommon surely it should have elicited some response"

Because neophyte, at that point they were unaware you were a keeper, A small number of people, such as the shadow warriors to the far east for and certain monastic orders for instance, have developed such abilities through intense training, they might have taken you for one of them, and besides, after Horny's rather flashy entry, they were too scared to comment or even think about the rather unusual way your body harvests mana, I might add.

"I see." Fian replied and fell silent again

"Now I suggest we make our way to purchase whatever else we may need. We should start with Malgor, one of the finest tailors in this city. I dare say he even surpasses the cloth smiths of the Great Under Cities to the West. Why he chooses to operate here, is a mystery, yet unfortunately, his charges are still as high of any craftsman of his skill, despite his abode , The good news is that thanks to the location of our Dungeon, We are quite close to several large seams of gold and I believe a gem stone seam or two as well, Horny's master chose the location of his primary dungeon with great care and as such, we are not wanting for wealth."

"You know a lot of this city, Mentor" Fian replied as he stepped out of the way of large, orange dinosaur like creature and carefully made his way through the numerous pedestrians on the street. "Surely, If you were bound away to the heart as Horny a hundred of years ago , you should be quite unfamiliar with this city. A lot changes in a century"

"Ah, yes" the mentor replied smoothly, however. As you can clearly see I am a non corporeal entity. As such, Walls and stone do not do much to keep me captive"

"But what about Horniculus, surely he could simply have made his way to the portal and left, why wait for around for someone to claim the heart."

The mentor tsk tsked at his charge's relative ignorance, rather theatrically before replying.

"A portal is inactive and useless unless powered by a magical source, without one, it's just a hole in the ground. Horny being a demon, cannot claim a Dungeon Heart, without being a keeper, one cannot claim land, and consequently cannot claim a portal and channel mana to it. This is why rival Keepers and heroes alike cannot come through a portal owned by you, for it is powered by your mana flow and nothing that you do not wish for, to pass through it, can come through" He said, before suddenly stopping outside a non descript building just like any on either side and opposite of it.

"Is this it?" Fian asked somewhat more enthusiastically. His anger at the lack of gratitude shown by elf had begun to wane, and the Mentor's explanation had for the first time conveyed to him the great complexity and diversity of the underworld and greatly awoken his curiosity.

"Yes, this is it, neophyte, Come on in the mentor said, and passed through the door."

_Ok, another A/N's note here. I know I haven't continued this story for quite some time, almost a year I think, but now thats going to change, I'm going to be writing everyday, or at the very least every other day. If anyone liked this story so far, I hope this pleases them_


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